[CHAR] Deep Blue Sea (MoominLiv and gowia)

[MoominLiv]

Down in the deep...

Far beneath the waves...

There is a world beyond our comprehension...

C H A R A C T E R S

• Edwin Clarke • Scientist NPC • Leader of Anti-Mer Science Faction •

• Horace Robinson • Scientist NPC • Leader of Pro-Mer Science Faction •

• Adeline Clarke • Female Scientist • Member of Anti-Mer Science Faction •

• Manas • Merman • Young Clansman •

[MoominLiv]

A D E L I N E C L A R K E

[+]

|| NAME ||

Adeline Clarke

|| AGE ||

24

|| GENDER ||

Cis female

|| SPECIES ||

Human

|| BIO ||

Born shortly after her father Edwin Clarke's fall from scientific grace, Adeline was raised by a man obsessed with his own redemption. Her mother, faced with the fact that her husband was no longer the man she married and that they had fallen into financial ruin do to his lack of employment, turned to opiates and "frivolous activities" for comfort and was largely out of the picture, leaving Adeline nearly solely under her father's care. Although she was female, Adeline was given an expansive education with extra attention to the natural sciences. A naturally intelligent and curious girl, she took well to these studies, excelling under her father's tutelage. She grew up listening to her father's fantastical tales of the merfolk and their evil ways, repetitions of the story of his ill-fated expediction that resulted in the death of so many of his colleagues, his plans and schemes to capture and study the "monsters", his promises that all their problems would be solved once he got his hands on one. She has witnessed his slow descent into a form of madness, his devotions and obsessions overtaking everything else in his life.
Obviously, having a father that is constantly immersed in questionable research and so obsessed with a species of humanoid sea creatures that he is seen as insane by almost everybody, as well as a mother who spends most of her time drinking or smoking in an attempt to dull the aching wound in her heart means that Adeline's life has been rather loveless and drab. Brought up solely to be the successor to her father's quest, she wasn't allowed to have a real childhood and has spent her entire life being belittled and judged for even the most minor of faults, often becoming the scapegoat for her father's anger and frustration.

|| PERSONALITY ||

• Asocial •
Although she does her very best to conform to societal norms and act like a "proper" lady, Adeline often has trouble fitting in. She is cynical and direct, always speaking her mind and sharing her opinions, something that many of the men around her don't take kindly to. She tends to be rather judgemental of others as she was taught from a young age by her father that they were "different" because of their intelligence and knowledge of what truly lay beneath the waves. She is slightly socially awkward and has trouble empathizing with others, as she was always studying during her childhood due to her father's influence.
The main exception to her lack of empathy is animals, as she has a very soft spot for the natural world and much prefers animals to humans. She has a tendency to pick up injured animals and nurse them back to health, much to her father's displeasure. She is especially fond of reptiles and amphibians and has a pet snake named Herbert.

• Realist •
Rather than a "glass-half-empty" or "glass-half-full" individual, Adeline is more of a "this glass has exactly twenty-two fluid ounces" type of person. She doesn't try to fool herself or others, meaning she can sometimes be a bit bleak. Seeing no benefit in lying, she often sats things that seem insulting to others but, to her, are simply a statement of fact. This means that she tends to unintentionally hurt people's feelings, something thing that can cause people to dislike her.

• (Usually) Collected •
Although typically rathr deadpan in both expression and mannerism, it is possible to coax out a different side of Adeline if one manages to mention the right topic. Talking about ichthyology or oceanography is a sure way to get her to drop her defenses and spark up and eager and enthusiastic conversation about science. She practically becomes a different person when she is allowed to talk about her interests, and she would excitedly talk about fish all night and day if one was kind enough to allow her to do so.

• Guarded •
Due to her unfortunate upbringing and all of its questionable aspects, Adeline tends to put a wall between herself and others and has difficulty trusting people. Part of it is that she fears rejection, but it is most the subconscious sense of inadequacy that has been ingrained into her that causes her to isolate herself. She also tends to hide her emotions, as she was taught from a very young age that they are "unnecessary" and that she would only be ignored if she were to show them externally.

• Dedicated •
When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and Adeline believes that wholeheartedly. She isn't one to throw in the towel, often stubbornly persevering in the face of opposition. When she starts a task, she always intends on finishing it, no matter how difficult it may be. However, as beneficial as this trait is, it can also present itself in a form of inflexibility, as Adeline has difficulty conceding or backing down, even in situations where it would be the best course of action. When Adeline meets another stubborn individual, sparks tend to fly.

[gowia]

M A N A S

|| NAME ||

Manas

|| AGE ||

29

|| GENDER ||

Cis male

|| SPECIES ||

Merfolk

|| BIO ||

Merfolk are a people steeped in kindness and love. Their rarity, atop the fact they live in such small clans, means that there isn’t time or space to exclude those that don’t conform. Survival is paramount and, over centuries, merfolk have learned that survival is made simplest through community. Manas is the second offspring of his parents and enjoyed even more love than his older sibling. He was raised to swim, sing, fish, draw, and even tell stories. Everybody took a turn to teach him something and, in return, he was a dutiful student. He happily curled up in the arms of his mother whilst she explained how to take the scales from their trawl, even when she had to pop the organs out. Other times he would swim far from his home with his father, mapping the seafloor and surroundings in his mind’s eye. Exploring the crevices and cliffs under the swell was a time of excitement and wonder at the scale of the underwater world they inhabited. Sometimes he was left alone, allowed to delve into the passages of learned people and progenitors to his gens. The lessons he remembered best were the horror stories of humans, however. Cruel, exploitative hunters that sooner exterminated life than tried to live with it; there was no greater demon to be feared than the people who came close to the merfolk. Survival depended on their never discovering his clan and, true to his family as anything, he knew he would be forced to do his part if ever they stumbled upon him. Despite having gils, merfolk required at least a short period of time a day above the water. It was when they were at their most vulnerable. These were the moments to be most wary and Manas still found the experience fraught with anxiety. He didn’t wish to imagine what might become of any merfolk caught in the nets of humans. It was best he never had to find out, and he had grown very careful with where he broke the surface. Perhaps, not careful enough however.

|| PERSONALITY ||

• Dutiful •
Manas was fortunate enough to be raised in a place of love and he takes his responsibilities to carry that forward very seriously. Once he had mastered some skill or talent he rushed to give his wisdom onto those younger than him. He always volunteered to help with raising his younger siblings and took his responsibilities seriously. Nothing was too big or too small and, if sometimes he needed help, he would always endeavour to succeed. Even now, with most of their family having grown to adulthood and the grim shadow of travelling to find partners, Manas had resigned himself to whatever it is his family requires of him. It is his duty and his duty ensures his family.

• Curious •
Manas has always been a sponge for information and new facts. Autodidactically educating himself with everything he could get his hands on lended itself to a calm, unsupposing demeanour that was more concerned with the content of conversation as opposed to its intent. Riling the merfolk was a challenge so long as there was yet more information to be extracted. This also was a danger, however. More often than he liked to remember his father had grabbed a hold of his scruff and pulled him from some odd current he had been trying to inspect closer. The sort that dragged a person down and never let go of them. Or crashed them into rocks.

• Irreverent •
There is no fanfare or pomp in the family of Manas. With a very small social circle and the ignominy of going through childhood in full view of everyone, nobody survives with their arrogance intact. Instead, teasing and playful banter abound to pop any ego that might have developed. Manas loved every one of his family but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to remind his mother of the time she cut her own hair too short and came out looking a little like a puffer. Just as his younger brother continued to poke fun at the time Manas had been bitten by an eel he’d mistaken for the largest piece of seaweed he’d ever seen. They were as close as anything, especially as they were all very at peace with their flaws and errors.

• Introspective •
Living so close to others has left a hole in Manas’ life. A sense of privacy and his own being that is underdeveloped. Lacking a complete sense of individuality, he spends a great deal of time lost in his own thoughts and trying to consider how he should act, not just how any of his family might. He prefers to take these moments alone or at times when it might be rude to disturb him. Self doubt and anxiety over his identity has left him with a number of questions he feels he might never have an answer to. Sharing this with any of his family had earned some odd looks and he has since been sure to keep all kinds of observations about himself to himself. Better than worrying anyone unduly.

• Caring •
Compassion was taught to Manas from as soon as he could breathe. Even if the lesson was never explicitly explained, he saw kindness in everything his parents did. They swaddled him in love and understanding. When he fell they picked him up and when he succeeded they threw him onto their shoulders and cheered. The delight in being happy and making others happy came as naturally as learning to swim. Whether he was looking after his siblings, delving into a new reef, or even fishing one of the nearby shoals, Manus did everything with kindness at the forefront of his mind. Never destroy a home, never let a creature suffer, and always teach through compassion. Humans caused pain and created fear; Merfolk are not humans.